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Emiliano Donadio

Meet the Man Behind the Research

About Emiliano

I was born a long time ago in the city of Buenos Aires, the capital of Argentina. However, I did not spend much time there as my parents moved southwards right into the Argentinean Patagonia region six months after I was born. So, I grew up in San Martin de los Andes, a small touristy town located in the foothills of the south Andes. Huge lakes and amazing deciduous temperate forests surround this Patagonian village. Steamboat and Jackson Hole are very much like my hometown in Argentina.

I was always fascinated with animals, both domestic and wild ones. In fact, my parents used to tell me that when I was 2 years old and they took me for an tour to the countryside, I spent much of my time looking at the ventral region of cattle to figure out whether they were females or males. I like to think that at time I was unconsciously conducting my very first fieldwork.

As soon as I finished high school, I moved to La Plata city, 1000 miles far away from home, to attend the university. Several years later, I graduated with a major in Zoology and the firm conviction that I would dedicate my professional life to study the ecology of wild animals in order to conserve them and their natural habitats. But to do so, I needed further high quality training.

Consequently I came to the University of Wyoming to begin my graduate program. I started with a Master program, and in 2005 I got a Master degree in Zoology. Afterwards I started my doctoral program in Ecology, which I am hoping to finish in the spring 2012.

During my life as a biologist I have studied all kinds of animals including foxes, skunks, pumas (yes! the same ones you have here in the USA), hares, rabbits, mice, beetles, spiders, lizards, buzzards, owls, eagles, caracaras, condors, guanacos, and vicuñas. I truly take pleasure in being outdoors, in the middle of nowhere, observing wildlife and enjoying the fresh air, although sometimes it gets too “fresh” in the high Andes of my country (10 thousand feet!).

After I finish my degree at the University of Wyoming, I will go back to my country to keep studying wildlife and undertake the task of protecting and conserving the natural heritage of my country.